1. Understanding German Wines
presented by
Thomas Haehn Von Schleinitz Estate Riesling & Pinot Noir 1

2. Wine Production of Germany in comparison
Germany California Italy France
Production in million cases in 2008 2

3. Winemaking since Roman times
the Romans introduced vines for wine making in the 2nd and 3rd century
Roman wine press in the village of Piesport 3

4. Producer
Vintage
Grape
Ripeness - subcategory
Style
Location: village and vineyard
Appellation
Producer vs. bottler
Ripeness category
AP Number

5. Red Grape Varietals in Germany (36%)
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt, Data for 2008 5

6. the Pinot Noir or SPÄTBURGUNDER Pinot Noir Rosé (Weißherbst) dry
Spicy fruit aroma of cherry & strawberry
mineral character, refreshing dry finish
Production: about 250cs
Pinot Noir Blanc de Noir dry
Spicy fruit aroma of cherry
Pinot Noir Red wine dry
cherry fruit with mineral character
no oak, medium body, smooth tannin
Production: about 120cs 6

7. White Grape Varietals in Germany (64%)
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt, Data for 2008 7

8. the KON - SECCO (vintage frizzante)
Riesling - Dry style
Fresh effervescense, rich aroma of fruits and stones
Production: about 300cs 8

9. the Sekt (vintage sparkling)
Riesling - Brut
fine mousseux after minimum of 12 month on the lees, hand degorged, vintage dated
Production: about 100cs
Riesling - Dry (not exported)
Pinot Noir - brut Rosé (not exported) 9

10. Germany‘s Wine Growing Regions
13 destinct regions
mostly along rivers
around the 50th degree latitude (southern Canada) 10

11. What makes Germany unique
Influences due to the northern location around 50° latitude:
long, moderate to cool growing season (especially in the northern regions)
grapes ripen slowly and thus maintain high acidity
low sugar production results in low alcohol levels
“Terroir” reflection of distinct soil types is very apparent in the wines 11

12. Understanding German wines
3 factors characterizing German wines
vinification styles / dryness vs. fruitiness
ripeness levels of fruit used in the wine making process
regional differences due to soil and climate 12

13. Vinification styles: from Dry to Fruity
Whether a wine is dry or fruity - is determined by the winemaker influencing the fermentation - does not depend on region, ripeness, grape or appellation
German wines often indicate dryness: - “trocken“ (very dry to dry), alcohol level around 11% or more - “halbtrocken“ (medium dry), alcohol level around 10% - no indication (fruity), alcohol level at 9.5% and below
Remark: The perception of residual sugar on the palate is greatly influenced by the amount of acidity in the wine. With high acidiy residual sugar is less perceptable. 13

14. the estate wines
VS Estate Riesling dry fresh fruit aroma just a touch of fruit-sweetness
(~1% residual sugar) dry clean finish refreshing effervescence a medium bodied wine, that is a wonderful sipping wine anytime most food versatile alternative to Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and un-oaked Chardonnay
VS Estate Riesling fruity style with significant sweetness (~5% residual sugar)
sufficiently balancing acidity fine natural effervescense a perfect sipping wine will greatly accompany spicy dishes & salads alternative to Vouvray, Muscat and White Zin 14

15. Ripeness levels of fruit used for German wines
German wines are classified by the ripeness level of the grapes at harvest. These levels are defined by minimum sugar content (brix levels) as the ripeness measure of the grape juice, that is before fermentation.
The higher in the pyramid, the higher is the ripeness of the grapes.
The residual sugar level (sweetness) in the finished wine is INDEPENDENT of the ripeness level. For example, winemakers may produce dry Auslese as well as fruity Kabinett.
The ripeness levels translate into weight and mouth-feel on the palate. 15

16. Vinification by ripeness: alcohol vs. residual sugar
Auslese dry
12.5 %
Auslese fruity 9%
Spätlese fruity 9%
Total sugar before fermentation = potential alcohol
Spätlese dry
12%
actual alcohol
Kabinett dry
11%
Kabinett fruity 9%
residual sugar
The total amount of sugar in the grape juice determines potential alcohol. This would be the amount of alcohol in the finished wine if all of the sugar was fermented.
The length of the fermentation determines the actual alcohol, the amount of sugar which has turned into alcohol. The actual alcohol is stated on the label in %alc.
Residual sugar is the remaining sugar that has not been fermented.
Riper fruit like Auslese is reflected in the wine as richer mouth-feel than Spätlese. And in turn, Spätlese feels richer than Kabinett on the palate; independent of dryness.

17. the single vineyard dry wines
VS Riesling “NITOR” (Kabinett) dry
Weissenberg vineyard; (~1% residual sugar) NITOR is Latin for “excellence” and “taste” . The wine excellently expresses the sleek elegance of the slate minerality and the rich taste of Riesling.
VS Riesling “APOLLO” (Spätlese) dry Weissenberg vineyard; (~1.5 to 2% residual sugar) Named after the “Apollo Butterfly”, an endangered and protected species living in the vineyards, documenting how ecologically healthy the vineyards are under organic farming. The wine shows intense flavors of peach and citrus on the nose, provides a rich mouth-feel with a fresh, dry, mineral–dusted finish.
VS Riesling “CARA” (Auslese) dry
Uhlen vineyard; (~1.2% residual sugar) Cara is Latin for “precious” and “valuable”; a wine only made in years where ultra high ripeness can be achieved without the involvement of the noble rot “botrytis”. 17

18. The Apollo butterfly is a now rare and endangered species that used to be common in the world.
In Germany it is today only found the Mosel valley and the Alps.
The caterpillar feeds of a thick leaved plant growing in our vineyards.
The butterfly was almost extinct due to the use of pesticides in the 1970s and has rebounded in our area due to the organic growing methods applied since the 1980s.
Today, it is a beautiful indicator for the healthy environment in our vineyards.

19. Regional differences due to soil and climate
 draw your question mark !
Starting in Trier, Mosel heading through Rheingau to Franken and back to Rheinhessen and Pfalz, all the way down to Freiburg in Baden.
This is how the regional influence of soil and climate will result in increasing weight and body in the wines. 19

20. Understanding German wines
factors characterizing German wines
vinification styles / dryness vs. fruitiness reflected by actual alcohol: dry: 11% and above, medium-dry: around 10%, fruity: 9% and below
ripeness of fruit used in the wine making process increasing weight / mouth-feel on the palate: Kabinett, Qualitätswein, Spätlese, Auslese, Dessertwines (LGKA; BA; TBA; Eiswein) (comparable to Skim Milk, 2%, Whole Milk, Half & Half, Heavy whipping cream)
regional differences due to soil and climate
increasing weight: Ruwer, Saar, Mosel, Rheingau, Franken, Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Baden
and most importantly: recognize producers 20

21. Ageing of German wines - losing sweetness – gaining character
wines of higher ripeness and concentration age better i.e. Auslese will generally age better than Kabinett
aging potential of dry German wines: 4 and up to 10 years
aging potential of fruity German wines: 7 to 30 and more years 21

22. Screw-top, the better closure
wineries using screw-top are pursuing high quality all the way to the customer
no corked bottles
leads to protection of fresh fruit, wines remain fresh longer
age-ability of wines is significantly prolonged according to research
NOT a cost saving measure – bottles are more expensive
table presentation: present screw cap just like cork
be knowledgeable about the subject 22

23. the wines Regional wine:
HIGHDEF / HD Riesling, Mosel HIGHDEF / HD SWEET RED
Estate Grown wines: *
VS Pinot Noir dry rosé
VS Pinot Noir dry Blanc de Noir
VS Pinot Noir dry red
VS Pinot Noir Sekt brut rosé (sparkling)
VS Riesling Sekt brut (sparkling)
VS Riesling dry „Uhlen“
VS Riesling Auslese dry, Uhlen „CARA“
VS Riesling Estate dry
VS Riesling Spätlese dry „Apollo“
VS Riesling Estate
VS Riesling Kabinett, Weissenberg
VS Riesling Spätlese, Weissenberg
VS Riesling Auslese, Weissenberg
VS Riesling dessertwines
the wines
* Wines listed from dry to sweet 23

24. presented by Von Schleinitz German Fine Estate Wines
Enjoy wines !!!
presented by Von Schleinitz German Fine Estate Wines 24